Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus six players are on the 60-DAY IL

Last updated 10-2-2023
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 22
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Brad Boxberger
Ben Brown
Jose Cuas
Tyler Duffey 
Jeremiah Estrada
Shane Greene
Kyle Hendricks
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Daniel Palencia
Michael Rucker
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Marcus Stroman
Jameson Taillon
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 8
# Jeimer Candelario
Nico Hoerner
* Miles Mastrobuoni
* Matt Mervis
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom
* Jared Young

OUTFIELDERS: 8
Kevin Alcantara
* Cody Bellinger
Alexander Canario
* Pete Crow-Armstrong
Brennen Davis
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman

60-DAY IL: 6
Nick Burdi, P
Michael Fulmer, P 
Codi Heuer, P
* Brandon Hughes, P
Nick Madrigal, INF
Ethan Roberts, P
 


Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs vs. Reds: Series Thread (Games 135-137)

The Cubs return to Wrigely for a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, who trail the Cubs in the division by a small margin. See below for daily matchups.


Game 135, Tuesday, September 6, 6:40 pm central

CHC: LHP Wade Miley (1-0, 2.84 ERA)

CIN: RHP Justin Dunn (1-2, 4.63 ERA)


Game 136, Wednesday, September 7, 6:40 pm central

CHC: TBD

CIN: LHP Mike Minor (3-10, 5.98 ERA)


Game 137, Thursday, September 8, 1:20 pm central

CHC: TBD

CIN: RHP Luis Cessa (3-2, 5.18 ERA)

Comments

i know it's early for everyone, but im kinda stoked about thompson/steele/wesneski.

alzolay and kilian are in the mix, too.

stroman and hendricks are around for another year.

so i guess the cubs can sign aaron judge and trea turner.  maybe arenado will opt out and they can get him, too.  nice.  get it done.

[ ]

In reply to by First.Pitch.120

I'm also loving this pitching depth, but it feels like odds are better that they keep at least one of the young starters who doesn't make the MLB rotation in the MLB pen as a long reliever like they did with Steele and Thompson this year (as long as the guy proves he can handle it), and then stretch that guy out as a starter if someone gets hurt.  Keeps their innings down, avoids chance of overuse injuries, etc.

cubs have 11 walks tonight...at the plate, not pitching...

playing crap teams is a bit of joy in 2022.

nico hits a f'n triple into the left field corner while typing this...left field...wtf...reds f'n suck.

wesneski debut, in relief to start the 5th...ends up with the win on a starter's short-outting workload.

5ip 2h 1bb 8k, 0r, 61 pitches

he didn't give up his first hit until 4.1ip into the game.

it's kinda important to consider 1- it's vs the crappy reds 2- he faced almost all RH hitters.  still, really great outing.

Yeah, that slider was on point. And what was that pitch he had in the upper 80's that looked like it bore into the right handed batters? A cutter? A two-seam fastball? I wasn't watching it live and I'm lost without Gameday to ID some of those non-obvious pitches. 

[ ]

In reply to by JoePepitone

Hmmm. His scouting report (via Lance Brozdowski on the Marquee website) says he's got a cutter, sinker & change-up to go along with his four-seam fastball and the slider. So that upper 80's pitch could have been a sinker (two-seam fastball) or a change up. I'm guessing his cutter breaks away from right handers, like the slider, instead of boring into them. 
 

That slider grades out at 147 in Stuff+ ratings. No kidding!

[ ]

In reply to by Childersb3

I just got a look at Rob Friedman's Twitter video, "Hayden Weseski, 92mph Two Seamer and 82mph Breaking Ball, Overlay" (posted in an article on the official Cubs.com site) and I think the pitch I was trying to identify was a high 80's two-seamer -- Gameday had the two-seamer in an 88-92mph range last night.  Anyway, that makes it a pretty effective pairing with that high-80's slider, not to mention the low 80's "breaking ball", which Gameday labeled as a curveball.  He gets movement on his pitches, for sure!

Re: Trading For Ohtani....

Just noting that according to MLB Pipeline, the LAA org top 30 prospects contains only 5 OF-ers, with org ranks of #14, #17, #18, #21, & #30.

#14 only grades @ 45 & is playing in the Dominican right now as a 17 yr old. 
#17 is another 17-yr-old DSL player.
#18 is a toolsy, power-oriented, K-machine underperforming @ A-ball
#21 was a 1st rd pick in 2018 who just reached AA midseason w/ 80 speed, 60 field, & an OPS below .700 for the past 2 seasons.
#30 came in the Syndergaard deal & could be interesting, but is still in A ball as a 21 year old drafted in 2019

That is some thin-@$$ OF depth... Canario or Caissie would instantly become the best OF prospect in the LAA system & slot in something like 7/8 in LAA's org ranking. Heck, I think that Pinango, Perlaza, or Hill might take that title if traded (no offense to Darius or either of the Y.P.'s).

Not that it would be a 1-for-1, but I do think that the pieces exist (in the right complimenting areas) to make a deal feasible.

I would think the Angels would want direct replacements for Ohtani, a DH (Mervis) and a LHSP (Wicks), plus a top OF prospect (probably PCA), and a second pitching prospect like D. J. Herz, AND the Cubs would have to take back 3B Anthony Rendon and pay 100% of what's left of his contract ($38M per year 2023-26 with a $35M AAV hit for the next four seasons). All that for just one year of Ohtani, with the hope (pipedream?) that the Cubs can  MAYBE sign him to a contract extension (10/$500M?) before he hits free-agency. 

However, the Cubs are about $55M under the CBT threshold right now and will get about $35M more in AAV back post-2022 ($45M if Contreras signs elsewhere), so adding Ohtani (and whatever he will get in 2023 through arbitration) and the A. Rendon contract wouldn't break the bank. And then the Cubs would get an additional $60M AAV back post-2023 when the Heyward and Hendricks contracts come off the books. 

If a trade like that happened, the down-to-the-studs rebuild would have to be postponed indefinitely and the Cubs would suddenly become a legit 2023 N. L. Central contender AND an extremely attactive destination for an elite free-agent SS like Correa, Bogaerts, or T. Turner and/or an elite FA SP like Jacob deGrom. The Cubs might even choose ro sign Contreras and Happ to contract extensions. 

So if the Angels are actually willing tp move Ohtani post-2022 and the prospect return from the Cubs is sufficient (not to mention the added benefit of the Cubs relieving the Angels of Rendon's contract), I would make rhat trade in a Disneyland minute.     

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

BTW, with respect to Anthony Rendon, he has played 155 games (equal to about one full MLB season) for the Angels since signing with them post-2018, and he has hit 252/359/421 (115 OPS+) with 20 HR, 35 doubles, and 90/104 BB/K in 669 PA while playing acceptable defense at 3B, all of which isn't worth $38M per year ($35M AAV) but also isn't necessarily all that bad - IF - he can stay healthy (big IF). It's not like the Cubs have a lot of better options (now or in the near-future) at 3B, and if taking back Rendon would be part of the price to acquire Ohtani, I'd be willing to take a chance on him having a bounce-back year in 2023 (and hopefully beyond). 

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

i wonder where the team will upgrade.  CF and 1st are only obvious holes in the lineup (assuming they want morel at 3rd).

a rizzo return to CHI would be a bat upgrade, but he's not much of a 1st baseman anymore.  brandon nimmo is the only CF of interest, but he carries career-long injury risk.

trades open up all kinds of options beyond CF and 1st for upgrades, but that's what's in play right now.  morel is a more natural 2nd than 3rd...for all we know arenado could opt out after the season and suddenly trading madrigal is in play...or a variety of other spit-ball scenerios.

the team has a lot to work with young prospects, mlb-ready players/prospects, and established vets (such as happ) this off-season.

i'm down for whatever it takes to be favorites to win the NL Central going into spring training.

there are so few people at the game you can hear 1/2 dozen different vendors yelling in the stands.

mckinstry is the lead off hitter and mark leiter jr is coming in the 9th for a save chance.

i am 100% officially done with the 2022 cubs.

pitch clock and banning the shift is a 2023 thing...also bases going from 15" to 18"

15-second clock with bases empty, 20 with runners on, batter 1 time out per PA

2 IF'rs on either side of 2nd base when pitch is released, feet on dirt when pitcher is on the rubber.

[ ]

In reply to by Craig A.

the one i really hate is the man on 2nd in extras.  it screws up a lot of stats and how the game is approached.

stats aren't the most important thing, but this is a game that places a high importance on stats.

yeah, the runner at 2nd doesn't count as an earned run, but so many innings start with an intentional walk to set up force outs...amongst other things that change how the game is played such as starting the inning pitching out of the stretch.

i can't deny that it is a bit more exciting, though.

Recent comments

  • Sonicwind75 10/04/2023 - 10:38 am (view)

    Outside the box idea for 3b, Anthony Rendon.  Angels eat some of the contract but even then the prospect cost would be light.  Getting healthy and getting the hell out of the Angels organization could be a good change of scenery, bounce back candidate. 

  • Charlie 10/04/2023 - 10:51 am (view)

    A Bryan Reynolds CF and Christopher Morel LF outfield defense would be laughable in that Pittsburgh ballpark, though.

  • Childersb3 10/03/2023 - 10:46 pm (view)

    I understand this is a cost saving and control idea. But I wouldn't be happy giving up ONKC or Alcantara for Hayes and/or Bednar.

    I'm not saying they aren't good players. They are. They've never been "tested" with playing for a good team, but that isn't their fault. They produce good results. But not Jaguar and Big Red.

    Canario won't get to play for the Cubs, just like Velazquez, so he should probably go. Same for Mervis and Vazquez. Wesneski can get better but Bednar would certainly help us.

    But not to big power hitting OFs that are 21 yrs old and younger at AA already. I'm still holding out hope for the ONKC-PCA-Jag left to right OF. I'm just not giving up on that.

    Hayes for Morel kind of stings. I'd love for Morel to get a full year at 3B. Even if he failed there miserably, I'd like to give him a shot.

    Phil always comes up with common sense angles. This trade idea fills needs for sure and fills them with cost saving effective players.

    I'm thinking Morel goes to NYM for Alonso.

    We'll see what Jed cooks up.

  • Arizona Phil 10/03/2023 - 10:18 pm (view)

    It used to be that teams did not want to trade within their own division for PR reasons, but I don't see that with Ben Cherington in Pittsburgh or with Hoyer / Hawkins in Chicago, so the Cubs might target Pirates 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes and closer David Bednar.

    Hayes is a Gold Glove defender, a decent enough hitter (105 OPS+ in 2023), and he's under control at a VERY reasonable price ($8.75M AAV) through 2029 (with a club option for 2030). 

    Bednar is first-time salary arbitration-eligible post-2023 and under control through 2026. 

    One thing about the Cubs is that they can afford to overpay (which is what they would have to do to get both Hayes and Bednar) with a package consisting of a decent young MLB position player to replace Hayes in the lineup (like Christopher Morel, who could play LF in Pittsburgh) and prospects like outfielders Alexander Canario, Owen Caissie, or Kevin Alcantara (Pirates pick one, leaving the other two for the Cubs), a power-hitting 1B-DH like Matt Mervis or Haydn McGeary (Pirates pick one, leaving the other one for the Cubs), SS Luis Vazquez (who is MLB-ready but will never play SS in Chicago), 3B B. J. Murray (who could replace Hayes at the hot corner in Pittsburgh by 2025 if not sometime in 2024, and he obviously would be blocked in Chicago if the Cubs get Hayes), and an MLB-ready SP like Hayden Wesneski. 

  • crunch 10/03/2023 - 10:02 pm (view)

    boog and glanville calling the PHI@MIL game on ESPN2.

  • crunch 10/03/2023 - 10:59 pm (view)

    bellinger is my #1 want, but i fear he's the #1 want of many teams and will get crazy money + years, with the years being the big sting.  they need to replace bellinger's production if they don't get him no matter what position(s) played.

  • George Altman 10/03/2023 - 10:40 pm (view)

    I hope their top priorities are Bellinger, 2 RPs better than Fulmer/Boxberger (ideally 1 LH), and a 3B (Chapman my 1st Choice). That will put them right up to $237-257M AAV limit, but I don't see a playoff berth doing anything less.

    If they really want Alonso, Morel would be a good opening piece of that offer. 

    Unfortunately, Stroman will opt in ($23.7M) and Smyly ($11.5M) will be back. Steele, Taillon, Assad, Wicks will be rotation pieces. Would love a SP2 FA but don't see how they keep an effective offense and improve their bullpen while adding that.

  • crunch 10/03/2023 - 10:03 pm (view)

    i cannot imagine getting a legit 3rd, whether signing or via trade, isn't the highest priority for the team.  it's almost obvious they don't see morel there.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester 10/03/2023 - 10:19 pm (view)

    I’m just hoping they have an actual 3B next year so we don’t need to worry about the M boys, Bote, and P Whiffy eating all the 3B at bats next year.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester 10/03/2023 - 10:13 pm (view)

    Willson was a OF/3B when we signed him too.

    On a less successful but still got to the show note, PJ Higgins was another college IF converted to C